Thursday, October 21, 2010

I hate the cold. Sitting in blistering Chennai I don’t like when the fan or air-con is on “too high”. I like when a little bit of physical exercise is performed, a feeling that one is about to sweat almost instantaneously occurs. Being from a college where if you don’t sweat like it’s just rained when you’re dancing, you haven’t done enough, it’s hard not to look forward to the feeling. When I visit a hill station in India (Ooty) I refuse to step out in the evening for a walk cause it’s “too cold.”

I travelled to London. Dreading the cold more than ever as my previous experience had taught me to do. I landed at Heathrow not knowing who was to pick me up or where I was going. There are advantages to having a father like mine, eg: I never have to worry about things like this. I have one coat which is more spring-ish than winter-ish. I wrap myself up nice and tight and brace myself for the cold. I got what I expected. The freezing ‘breeze’ that elicits the phrase ‘nice autumn day’ from any Englishman.

Over the next week I saw all the various clothing and feeding styles that come about because of the cold. I felt the brisk morning air as it filled me up with an urge to go out and do something while still begging me to stay in bed. Hot chocolate didn’t make me feel like I was about to cook my innards and wool tights allowed me to wear short clothes without making me self conscious. I got to wear tiny heeled boots -- which were admittedly not made for the winter, but were nice all the same. I got to buy formal woolen pants that I wore when I went into the House of Lords to hear a lecture on sustainability. I got to walk up and down Oxford Street looking at sweaters and jackets and boots and all sorts of other winter ‘requirements’ for women in the sunny but cold weather. I got hailed on while checking out a restaurant and then got to sit in a warm toasty bar while munching on massive amounts of spaghetti as it rained on the world. I got to hang out with friends and have supposedly intellectual or heart to heart conversations about anything and everything under the sun. I learned that grey clothing was not for the people who had no imagination and that there were a thousand different shades of it that could be made to look rather nice!

It is true that more than half the reason for my new-found love for the weather was due to the fashion possibilities that made my head spin. But there is that other significant portion that allowed me to enjoy coming back to a cozy warm house at the end of a fun and tiring night. The joy of drinking hot chocolate and tea at anytime of the day or night to keep warm. Going to a dinner in a silk sari and have people ask if you aren’t cold at all cause they haven’t ever worn silk in the winter without the accompaniment of wool.My love affair with London was originally in my head. Now it’s a real live feeling. I’m sitting at the airport ready to go back to my own home and my brand new car, but I miss London already!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

My experience with a some of my educators has been somewhat of a disaster at times. I often meet educators who believe themselves to have a distinguished knowledge of their subject. This is just my observation on the conversation or "discussion" process that usually takes place with me!A lot of people who have a certain book knowledge of philosophy or the arts tend to mix only with people who agree with them. I find that they very successfully confuse the people that they converse with , with such dexterity an almost always refuse to see the other side of the story. The people who engaged the so called educator in such conversation are also people who wish they had a certain expertise on the subject but usually don't. So if you are ever faced with such a person see if your conversation flows the same as mine usually do.Point out to this "humble, honest" educator your little confusion with the flow of their logic in the form of a question. A genuine question, not one of those smart-alec ones. Ask them honestly why a particular point isn't contradictory. Preferably use an example that comes to mind, or something that was part of a previous conversation.Watch as they deny the possibility of your example and then continue to replace it with an absurd example of which you obviously have no knowledge. In fact you probably haven't heard of anything remotely close to the example in your life. See them accuse you of assuming unecessary things and simultaneously assume that the example that you used is something you strongly believe in, or is the way you think (it doesn't matter whether you use an example pro mass murder or pro a repeat of WW2). As they tell you not to have a n inflexible view on the topic, they seem to develop impossibly inflexible ideas about you and your "way of life."At this point when you desperately try to stop the conversation that has already skewed completely out of focus from spiraling out of control, see them look at it as a sign of defeat. Finally in desperation to save your sanity and in an effort to let people keep their opinions without having to explain them to you, when you try and abort the conversation altogether see them take it on as a personal insult, a symbol of your ignorance and disrespect for not only them but also their haloed subject!The fact that the person doesn't know you or any of your views or ideas or opinions about anything at all will make no difference whatsoever. And trust me when I say try as you might for as long as you know them and are forced to be in that student-educator relationship you cannot change that opinion.

Monday, September 20, 2010

I never thought I would be one to blog. All the people crowding this open space with their whinging and whining about how sad their life is, or how significant it became cause they finally heard the words "I love you" directed at them. You know the kind I mean. I thought of it as a complete and utter waste of time.

But here I am, post Harvard-Summer School experience and have decided that I need to start writing now. And what better way to improve the way I write than to open it out to the public so they can make all their nasty, nice or half-hearted agreements.